Rain Rain Go Away, Come Again Another Day
Trip Start
Feb 08, 2008
1
9
29
Trip End
Mar 10, 2008
Cape Reinga, North Island,
New Zealand
Friday, February 15, 2008
Our tour today will take us to Cape Reinga, the most northerly point on the North Island. The tour buses in NZ are very comfortable, the drivers provide a great commentary, there are plenty of rest stops and best of all we do not have to do the driving!!
Our driver decides to take us along the Eastern coastal highway to 90 Mile Beach. Each day the decision on which approach to use is dependant on the tides
90 Mile Beach
. Soon we are using the beach as a highway, driving 100 k down the sandy, deserted beach while the rain comes down. The wild Tasman Sea is to our right and the breakers are crashing along the beach. Soon the waves are getting even closer and bigger as the tide is coming in. We are racing to beat the incoming tide. Our driver is really putting the pedal to the metal now and we are flying down the beach. We see a seal on the beach and the driver slows down and makes a circle so that we can take a picture then we are off again, our destination the large bluffs off in the distance. When we get to the bluffs the driver pulls over and lets us out, it is still raining but not too hard and everyone dashes for the shoreline to touch the Tasman Sea and to take pictures. Our adventure continues as the driver now pulls onto the quicksand riverbed which we drive along (he assures us this is safe as he has lots of weight ) and we go in search of the giant sand dunes.I have seen these sand dunes on adventure shows were young people are surfing on sand down huge dunes. He takes us to a rather small dune and tells us we can all take a try on the hill if we wish. Out comes the boogie boards and he gives us a demonstration . The sand is wet and hard packed but there are a few eager souls. I am not one of them, I am already wet enough from being outside taking pictures of the Tasman Sea. One or two men give it a try amid shouts of glee
Al on the Tasman Sea
. Soon Al is boogying down the hill. Then the women start to give it a try; soon everyone is going back a second and third time and laughter is ringing out. I am taking pictures and laughing too, what a scene, a bus load of mostly 60 year olds flying down the dunes like kids! Eventually everyone tries to clean themselves up and hop back on the bus, still pretty wet and with a nice layer of sand on . As we turn around the first corner we see a really large sand dune with people whizzing down the hill, an uproar ensues - we didn't get to try the big hill - this bus driver is no fool, he keeps on driving.As we get closer to the Cape the rain really increases, I do not think there is much chance of this improving. As we near the cape it is pretty much up hill and soon we run out of pavement and are driving on unfinished road. A paving crew is trying to pave in this weather but it is looking pretty muddy to me. Soon we reach the outer parking lot which is pretty much a field of red clay and the driver tells us it is a 45 minute return hike from here to the lighthouse and back. Out we go (the driver, smart man is staying in the bus). Determined to see where the Tasman Sea meets the Pacific I put up my umbrella and try to stay dry (hah). I think the rain god was waiting for me, as soon we are struggling along in a monsoon, the rain is pelting down, my umbrella has blown inside out 5 times and like a fool I keep going
Look out below
. I am now soaked, my shoes are squishing but I am too close to give up. As I reach the lighthouse I try to brace myself against the lighthouse, Al helps me to keep my umbrella over my head so that I can get my camera out. I get 2 dubious pictures before I give up. Now it is raining even harder (if this is possible) and Al and I start to run back uphill. We feel pretty good that we can actually run uphill (thank you Machu Picchu). I am behind a girl wearing shorts and the backs of her legs up to her knees are covered in red mud, I am starting to wonder how I look and I pray that I do not have as much mud on me. We reach the bus, soaked to the skin, not a single inch of me is dry. We look at the seats on the bus and wonder what to do, we certainly are too wet to sit down. The lady in front of me give me a large bag to sit on and Al and I share it. Off come the coats and hats but we are sitting in wet pants and my beautiful lime green hiking shoes will never be the same. It is not even lunch time yet, this could be a long day. The bus driver is counting heads, he really wants to be underway and he has been pretty specific about not waiting for anyone. Finally the last person arrives, a young girl from Taiwan - she has been out in the rain is a light dress and high heels shoes - I look dry in comparison to her. Suddenly she realizes that she has left her purse in the washroom, a good 15 minutes away. The bus driver is enraged and gets very upset with her and tells her to catch another bus . She runs out of the bus to find her purse - full of credit cards and her passport while we sit on the bus and wonder if the driver will make good on his threat
Blowin in the Wind
. He is most certainly not happy. Soon she is back, luckily with purse in hand (she must have really run in those high heels) and off we head for lunch. We are having lunch at Hourhora, an area famous for its views, there will be no view today. We have prepaid our lunch as we have been told this is a great BBQ at a great location. When we arrive we have to walk forever from the parking lot to the restaurant (yes it is still wet). We arrive to find a very crowded room, with no table reserved for our group, so we have to hunt for seating wherever we can. The BBQ is very tough well done steak, bratwurst, a salad bar and no desserts. For $20.00 each we are feeling very cheated but we had a look at the boxed lunches that some of the others bought for $16.00 and feel slightly better. After lunch we head to the Puketi Kauri Forest. This forest contains the second largest trees in the world (after the California redwoods). Once NZ was 90 % forest but over logging by Maori and early European settlers has reduced this number to 14% forest. The remaining trees in the preserve are over a thousand years old and they are huge. A beautiful boardwalk has been built creating a viewing area that does not damage the trees shallow root system. The rain has let up, and the tree canopy provides shelter so we enjoy our time in the forest.
We head home and will be happy to hit the shower . Not so happy, having to pack up and say goodbye to the Bay of Islands in the morning.
